36—Vanguard, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2014
Delta sets up task force to recover debts from mass transit operators
UPU promises closer ties with Isok o Isoko
BY AUSTIN OGWUDA
BY AKPOKONA OMAFURAIRE
A
SABA—DELTA State Government has said it has set up a special task force with the mandate of recovering huge sums of money owed it by the operators of commercial buses under its Urban Mass Transit Scheme. The state Commissioner for Transport, Mr. Benson Igbakpa, warned that beginning from this month, defaulters would have such vehicles recovered from them, if they failed to show proof of payment, describing their action as “wickedness.” Said he, “for the record, the operators were supposed to be paying N4,000 daily for the buses, but this they have not been doing. It is wicked for anybody to get such buses that were highly subsidised by the state government to refuse to remit payments for upwards of over one year. “Recently, the state government discovered that almost all the operators of the government acquired vehicles are not remitting payments to the state government's coffers. Worried by the development, this year, we have decided to go into ‘operation recover all’ where we will begin to impound all the vehicles of defaulters. “Only Agofure Motors is pay-
W
ARRI —THE President General of Urhobo Progress Union, UPU, Chief Patrick Aziza (rtd), has said that the Isoko people now have a focus and ray of hope with the election of new executive to lead Isoko Development Union, IDU. Aziza charged the Isoko people, especially the elected executive to respect constituted authority, so as to move Isoko forward. Aziza, when he led UPU executive to the inauguration ceremony of the Isoko Development Union at Oleh, headquarter of Isoko South Local Government Area, thanked the Isoko people for electing General Paul Omu as their leader. He noted that with the election of both General Omu (rtd) and Ogbaudu, former Assistant Inspector General of Police, Isoko people now have a ray of hope and focus.
ing, not even the state government’s transport company - Delta Line. Henceforth, all operators
must go along with their proof of payment, which their drivers must display at every point the
Orashi people condemn explosion at Rivers High cour courtt
C
OUNCIL of Orashi Ethnic Nationality, COEN, has condemned, yesterday’s explosion at the Rivers State High Court, Ahoada premises, warning that it would resist any attempt by desperate politicians to plunge the area into violence. Council Director, Media and Publicity, Mr Ndu Nwobosi, reacting to the explosion, called for the sack of Jerry Needam, Me-
dia Adviser to Rivers State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Chairman, over what he described as his incompetence. He noted that Needam has demonstrated inconceivable penchant for trivializing serious issues and playing on public sensitivity with a view to creating chaos in the name of politics. “Needam does not have what it takes to determine what con-
U
GHELLI—PRESIDENT of Urhobo National Youth Council, UNYC, Mr Monday Oyeghe, yesterday, advised Nigerians to ignore what he described as the intrigues of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, saying that the “gang up against President
Goodluck Jonathan and the minority ethnic groups must stop.” Oyeghe urged Nigerians to support President Jonathan in 2015 as well as his transformation agenda. He said: “the gang up against President Jonathan and the minority ethnic groups must stop. We call on Nigerians to support the President
B
BY SIMON EBEGBULEM
ENIN CITY—EDO State Government, has warned that vehicles registered through third parties or agents risk fines or jail terms, just as it announced the suspension of its policy of enforcement of three years tax clearance certificate for prospective plate
number applicants. Chairman of Edo State Board of Internal Revenue, Chief Oseni Elama, in Benin City, yesterday, said that it was criminal and illegal to register vehicles without personal presence at the licensing office as the biometric data of those applicants would not be captured in the Federal
and all his programmes, because he means well for all Nigerians. We must all ignore Obasanjo’s intrigues. “We agree with the position of Chief Sunny Onuesoke on the matter and we call on Nigerians, Deltans and the Urhobo nation to follow suit. Nobody can insult the minority ethnic groups in Nigeria because power belongs to God
and He gives to whoever he pleases. “It is the time for the minority to produce the President and we are all throwing our weight behind President Jonathan in 2015. We call on Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State to stop selling his brother for a pot of porridge because he wants to become Vice President.”
Road Safety Commission, FRSC databank, meaning that such number plates were criminally obtained. He said “If you find out that you obtained your number plates through a third party or an agent, which we refer to as touts and you biometric data was not captured, it is criminal. If you have any such number plate, it is not only fake, it was acquired illegally and it is a criminal offence. So, you have to come with the number plates and the vehicles to our office for us to capture those information, but you have to pay for the number plates.” He disclosed that the suspension on tax clearance demand was to enable all motorists yet to obtain the new number plates to beat the June, 2014 deadline as announced by the FRSC.
By Bartholomew Madukwe
PEOPLE SPEAK
08102479985
stitutes credibility and integrity. He believes in distorting the truth; the earlier he leaves, the better the chances of PDP if at all the people will allow that,” he said. Nwobosi decried a situation where a once peaceful state and investors haven was now turning into a den of militancy because of the desires of 'Oga and Madam' at the top.
Vehicle registration: Thir d par ties risk jail tterm erm Third parties — Edo revenue boss
Group urges Nigerians to ignore Obasanjo's alleged intrigues BY FESTUS AHON
task force we have constituted accost them. Anybody who defaults will have his vehicle impounded,” he said.
(nwamad@yahoo.com)
100 yyear ear earss amalgamation of Nigeria
W
HAT qualified Nigeria to celebrate 100 years of existence? Average Nigerians suffer the predicaments of poor leadership and corruption. Above all, we still strive to survive, so what then is the celebration going to be based on? Prince Iyke Emmanuel—Student
I
T was when and where the British colonization of Nigeria stopped that the Northern colonization began. None is better than the other, and none deserves to be appreciated nor celebrated. If you wished, they could be remembered not for the gains but for the pains. Mr. Otakponmwen Markson—Businessman.
N
IGERIA has faced challenges of imperialism and surmounted them without blood. Nigeria has faced challenges of military rule and triumphed. Nigeria may still have other debilitating problems as a country, but surely we have more reasons to celebrate than to regret. Mr. Kingsley Awuka—Worker.
N
O country in its sane mind would celebrate the day it was forcefully colonized and structured according to the political and economic interests of the colonialists. Have we really fared better by that amalgamation to now enjoy a strong reality of unity, harmony and development? Ms. Deborah Onyema—Student.
I
N spite of our present sor ry state and sad history as a nation, we may just celebrate independence for being free of undisguised external domination, but to celebrate amalgamation cum colonialism is the height of stupidity and lack of national dignity. No, it does not make sense to celebrate 1914. Mr. Ajadi Razaq—Video coverage.
C
ENTENARY celebration is a veiled attempt to siphon money out of the coffers. Let the Federal Government rather give the money to ASUU and ASUP, at least to settle issues of strike in the educational sector. Mr Lawrence Monebi — Worker.